birthday meal

[helenenemo]

I'm vegetarian. On most other birthdays we go to a local steakhouse and I have the one veggie option on the menu!!

It's my birthday next and I've chosen a lovely vegetarian/vegan place. Apparently I'm totally unreasonable and should change to somewhere with meat. I disagree so I'm turning it over to the lovely folk of MN!

Aibu?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

But you won't ever cater for everyone. Some would prefer Indian to Chinese or pizza to pub lunch style good.

The objection isn't to the style of food. There will be veggie versions to things everyone likes like burgers, salad, curry etc

And new things to try.
Who wouldn't look forward to it?

[iklboo]

YADNBU

I eat meat & enjoy going to steak house / rodizio places. But it's YOUR birthday & if you wanted to go to your favourite veggie / vegan place then I'd be happy to go with you.

1. it's your birthday
   
2. it's only fair - you go to meaty places
   
3. I don't have to eat meat every day
   
4. it's nice to try new places
   
   Repeat 1 ad infinitum.

[puntasticusername]

YANBU. I am a confirmed carnivore but if lucky enough to be invited to your meal, the most important thing to me would be to be there to celebrate with you, and I'd enjoy exploring the veggie dishes though I couldn't honestly promise that I wouldn't have a stash of cocktail sausages in the car for Afters

[iklboo]

There'll still be cake won't there

[Trills]

YANBU

It's your birthday.

You have chosen a restaurant that serves food that your guests can eat, without becoming ill or going against their personal moral code.

Therefore they should go, and be polite. Or not go, and also be polite.

[CatKisser]

Er, no.
It won't kill them to experience a meat-free night, and I say that as a lover of the bloodiest of steaks.
How very rude of people to try and get you to change your own birthday venue!

[Comito]

YADNBU

I'm a veggie and I spend my life in restaurants eating the single rubbish vegetarian option. If it was my birthday and I'd picked a veggie restaurant, I'd expect people to shut up and deal with it. FGS, it's not going to kill them. There are some superb vegetarian restaurants which I've taken meat-eating friends and family to and they've been very impressed.

[Silverdaisy]

Cantbelieve
I do understand that, and I said that.

However people have the right to decline an invite - as does any veggie or any person who maybe food phobic and not want to draw attention to that.

My view is if you invite a number of people out the menu should be varied.

[Charitybelle]

YANBU! Its not like you're taking them somewhere they would only have one option on the menu to choose from. I'd imagine they would find that v unreasonable, but seemingly you do it on as regular basis for their birthdays? People are weird when it comes to vegetarianism!

[Backtobedlam]

YANBU-it's your birthday and about celebrating with you. They'll be something they can all eat in the menu, if they love it then great, if they don't they have still had a nice evening catching up with a good friend.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

My view is if you invite a number of people out the menu should be varied.

Every veggie restaurant I've been to serves a variety of meals. They will be fine.

[WorraLiberty]

As long as you don't get arsey if some people decline, then it's all good.

When I book a meal that involves friends/family, I try hard to choose somewhere that will suit everyone.

My ex SIL invited me to a Sushi restaurant for her birthday. I can't stand Sushi and they sold nothing else. She understood totally when I declined and I was happy for her because it was her favourite restaurant.

[Silverdaisy]

They may have variety of meals (i guess there is a menu) . But that is not everyone's opinion of varied.

I would like everyone to be happy, and from the op they are not.

No idea how many guests there are though.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Then they suck it up and order a pizza when they get home.or eat a cow for lunch.

It's about celebrating with friends not eating your body weight in steak

[polomoomin]

It's hardly the same as a specific restaurant that only sells one thing such as sushi though worra. I'd understand more if it were like that but veggie restaurants sell a whole range of things to suit all tastes. They're just being fussy bastards because heaven forbid they should have one meal that doesn't contain flesh.

Of course yanbu OP. Veggie food is delicious. They probably have the incredibly archaic idea of it all being lentils, mung beans and hummus.

[Silverdaisy]

I've read several times over the past 2 days on MN "it's an invitation not a summons". The guests can decline no? People don't have to pay for a meal and then order a takeaway.

If it was someone I cared about i would go and "suck it up".

[SarniaCherie]

Oh course YANBU, it's your birthday so you can go where you want. If people are complaining then tell them not to bother coming.

[JustAShopGirl]

I don't get the chance to eat out often so would personally feel a bit peeved at a veggie/vegan only restaurant, I would probably decline politely.

The only local vegetarian only restaurant here closed 3 years ago, so I'm guessing many others feel the same way.

Your birthday, your choice, but as you have already been made aware - some may not want to come.

[Bunbaker]

I can't believe that some people think YABU. It's your birthday. You get to call the shots. A meal without meat is not exactly a hardship and vegetarian restaurants are much better at vegetarian food than a non vegetarian restaurant with the token veggie meal.

If anyone was offended by not going to a restaurant that didn't serve meat they aren't much of a friend.

I speak as someone who has just enjoyed a rare steak. I love all types of food, veggie, vegan or carnivorous.

[Bunbaker]

"I don't get the chance to eat out often so would personally feel a bit peeved at a veggie/vegan only restaurant, I would probably decline politely."

Why? What is your problem with a meat free meal? YABVU.

[LadyLuck10]

Yabu, I get that it's your birthday but you are expecting people to spend money on the meal so you don't get to say how they should spend it.
Why can't you choose something that caters for everyone rather than restricting choice for your friends.

[LizzieMint]

YANBU but I am not surprised at the reactions. We only served veggie food at our wedding and with some of the reactions (prior to the event) you'd have thought we were going to pin people down and forcefeed them quinoa for the rest of their days. But everyone came, everyone commented on how nice the food was, no one died from lack of meat at one meal. People really are funny about vegetarianism.

[fairylightsintheloft]

because most restaurants that "cater for everyone" actually have menus that are 90-95% meat, so that leaves the OP, on her birthday, having the mushroom risotto again. At some point a decision needs to be made, by someone and as a PP said, whatever you choose will be someone's least preferred option. If they choose not to come that's their choice.

[Discopanda]

You are NOT being unreasonable! It's your birthday so it should be your treat. I'm also vegetarian and I didn't really fancy having to choose between a veggie burger or plain pasta this year, so I decided to go to our nearest vegetarian restaurant. People were actually pleasantly surprised and were quite understanding about why I wanted to go there. Celebrating somebody's birthday should be about doing something they enjoy.

[JustAShopGirl]

'tis not the meat free meal -'tis the fact that the only 2 veggie restaurants I've been in (in the last 2 years, so fairly modern) had NO meals that did not contain one of mushrooms, peppers or cheese - other than a salad - I don't go out for a rare meal out to pay ££ to eat a salad...

hence I would choose to decline politely.